Principality of Chernigov - History

History

According to the Primary Chronicle before the 11th century, the principality was ruled by local (tribal) elderly and voevodes from Kiev that were appointed by the Grand Prince to collect tribute from the local population, manage judicial trials, and defend the land from external enemies. In the years 1024–1036 the principality of Chernihiv was passed under the administration of son of the Vladimir the Great, Mstislav of Chernihiv who came there from Tmutorokan. Together with Yaroslav the Wise Mstislav ruled the Kievan Rus establishing Chernihiv as one of the most important administration centers within the Rus. Upon the death of Mstislav Chernihiv was incorporated into the realm of Kiev.

After Yaroslav the Wise the principality of Chernihiv was passed to one of his sons Grand Prince Sviatoslav, who gave rise to the Chernihiv branch of Rurikids. During the Yaroslavichi's civil war Chernihiv was contested between sons of Svyatoslav and Vsevolod. Only by the decision of Liubech Congress (1097) the Sviatoslav’s sons Oleg, Davyd, and their descendants finally secured the principality after their family. Since then the principality obtained a certain degree of autonomy and was primarily secured after the Oleg's descendants.

With time Cherhigov Principality was split into three main apanage principalities: Chernihiv, Novgorod-Seversk and Murom-Ryazan, while Tmutarakan due to its remoteness became often contested and eventually was overtaken. Murom and later the Ryazan principality also drifted away from under the influence of Chernihiv and after some time was contested by the Principality of Vladimir. Nonetheless the influence of Chernihiv Princes remained large and they retained the title of Kiev Grand Prince for sometime. The capital of the principality, Chernihiv, was one of the largest economic and cultural centers of Kievan Rus'. The Chernihiv dynasty possessed Kiev for some time in the 11th–13th centuries.